The clarion. [volume] (Jackson, Miss.) 1883-1888, 1887-01-26

Every spire of grass bent as if Will
the weight of diamond at its point
The vines and creeping shrubs tha
grer along the fences seemed blossomine
| with gems, so thick were the water-drop
among their leaves; so bright were The
sunbeams that kindled them into beau
ty. The atmosphere was full of cool
rich fragrance, and every gush of air
as 1t swept through the ponderous vehi
Gle that bore Myra from her home, wa:
delicious to breathe.
| Ever and anon, as the stage followed
the windings of the highway, Myrs
could obtain view of her former home
silent, stately, and refreshed, as it were
by the night storm, it rose before hei
fearful eyes. The proud old mansion
lifted on terrace of hills above the
level on which she travelled, could be
seen for miles and miles around, and
thus at every turn the Doble features OF
ali that she had given up we're spread
| eut before her gaze as if to mock her
| loneliness. or with their grandeur tempt
her return.
But Myra scarcely thought of the
stately old mansion. Her affectionate
heart penetrated beyond its walls; she
saw, as in vision. one pale and gentle
head asleep on its pillow, dreaming of
| scenes that would never be again. Ii
was memory of the slumbering house
hold abandoned in its unconsciousness
that filled the eyes of poor Myra with
| tears.
| She felt no regret for the noble prop
erty that she had rendered up without q
sigh. But the household links that she
had broken still quivered about her
| heart, and Myra, as she cast her eyes
back on her stately old home, could not
choose but weep.
Our young traveller found her friends
at New Castle willing to aid her, as the
generous girls in Wilmington had been
father of the lady whose roof had given
shelter to the young girl, should pro-
ceed with her to Baltimore, and with
this most unexceptionable escort htyra
set forth. With the gentleman whose
house she had left, she intrusted note
which was to be delivered to Mr.. Whit
ney, should he by chance have taken
passage in the boat expected in few
hours from Baltimore.
Anxious, hurried, and half i'll with
excitement, Myra and her companion
reached Baltimore just in time to learn
that a gentleman bearing the name of
Whitney had taken passage in a
boat which had passed them on their
way.
Agitated by fresh fears, and wild with
dread that the meeting between her
father and her lover might take place in
spite of all her efforts, the poor girl had
no resource but to return with her COM
panion, in the wild hope that her note
might reach Mr.. Whitney at New Cas-
tie, and thus prevent his proceeding on
his route.
By the return boat they reached the
home of their generous friends once
more, and there to her astonishment and
dismay Myra found that person of
like name, but not the Mr.. Whitney
whom she sought to preserve from peril
ing his life, had passed through New
Castle.
1t was now beyond the day appointed
for her lovers arrival, and, without any
knowledge of the time when he would
pass through Baltimore, Myra had no
better means of meeting him On the way
than by remaining quietly with her
friends till he should reach New Cas-
tie.
The kind clergyman, who had so kind
ly given his protection to the adventur-
GUS girl, arranged that strict watch
should be kept at the landing. Thus
day after day passed by during which
poor Myra suffered all the irksome
pains of suspense, hoping, yet dreading
the appearance of her lover, and haunt
ed with fear that her incensed parent
might find out her place of shelter, and
thus render all her efforts to prevent
mischief of no avail.
But thus harassed and worn out, she
had only one resource. To wait-wait.
To a nature ardent and impetuous as hers,
this was weary trial. So long as she
had anything to do, the excitement OF
action kept up her courage, but this life
of inactive expectation wore upon her
nerves, and she began to droop like a
bird fettered in its cage.
Thus she had fingered three days, i,n-
prisoned by her own free will, in the
solitude of her chamber, when the event
which she had most feared brought new
agitation to her already overtaxed spir-
it. After days of pain and anxious
search her parents had found out the
place of her retreat.
1t often happens that persons OF
strong and powerful organization become
the slaves of their own will, and act IN
opposition to their best feelings and
cool judgment, merely because that viii
has been expressed.
Pride, stern, commanding pride, such
as must have been the characteristic oi
H. n ShrIn to
confession of fallibility, which q change
of purpose too surely acknowledges
Imperious from nature and from that
right of command which is so readily
yielded to the rich even in our republi
can country, he had expressed his dislike
and opposition to Mr.. Whitney, and
maintained it, not that he believed nj:
suspicious of unworthiness just, but be
cause they had once been expressed
and he, though generous, noble, affec
tionate, and filled with love for hi
adopted child, was the slave of hi
own will-that which he had said mus
| be
Upon the night of the storm this mar
| had walked hours upon the veranda il
front of his house, with the thundel
booming and clashing overhead, anG
with the fierce lightning glaring acros
his pale face-and why? Not that b,
did not feel his heart tremble witt
every roar of the thunder, not that eacl
blaze of lightning did not take away hi
breath.
| He was afraid of lightning, and fo
that very reason chose to brave il
Even the fear that was constitutional
| that had grown and strengthened witt
him from childhood, must yield to hi
will.
After that night of storm, when th
strong man had wrestled with his bette
feelings as he had wrestled with hi
fear, to conquer both, he awoke to fin
his daughter gone. Like the lightning
she had disappeared, leaving him notf
ing to contend against
At first he would not believe th
truth; even the wild anguish of hi
wife, who had lost her child, and r,
fused to be comforted, seemed grount
less.
He would not believe in the effect {
his own violence; but when the da
passed by, when messenger after messel
ger returned, bearing no tidings of b
daughter, the anguish which he endure
could no longer be held under col
troll.
| Strong as his pride of authority, dee
and earnest as his nature was his 10,
for the Young girl just driven from b
meath his roof Why had she bee
forced to got Even to his own heart
J could give no answer, save that he ha
willed her to love according to b
wishes, and found her unable to wrest
with her affections as he had wrestle
with the lightning.
And now all the injustice of this o
stinate adhesion to his own viii becan
-a1oablo e., hin. oo II hoa Iopo hoop